Signature-based object detection method and associated apparatus

Abstract

An object detection method includes: obtaining sensor detection inputs generated at different positions and different timestamps for a swept area of object detection, where each of the sensor detection input is generated at one of the different locations and one of the different timestamps; collecting spatio-temporal data according to the sensor detection inputs; stitching the spatio-temporal data to generate a spatio-temporal image; performing signature extraction upon the spatio-temporal image to generate a signature extraction result; and identifying a contour of the swept area according to the signature extraction result.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An object detection method comprising:
 obtaining a plurality of sensor detection inputs generated at different positions and different timestamps for a swept area of object detection, wherein each of the sensor detection input is generated at one of the different locations and one of the different timestamps;   collecting spatio-temporal data according to the sensor detection inputs;   stitching the spatio-temporal data to generate a spatio-temporal image;   performing signature extraction, by a processing circuit, upon the spatio-temporal image to generate a signature extraction result; and   identifying a contour of the swept area according to the signature extraction result.   
     
     
         2 . The object detection method of  claim 1 , wherein collecting the spatio-temporal data comprises:
 while a single sensor is moving, collecting the spatio-temporal data for the swept area by using only the single sensor.   
     
     
         3 . The object detection method of  claim 2 , wherein the single sensor is equipped with multiple-object reporting capability. 
     
     
         4 . The object detection method of  claim 2 , wherein the single sensor has only a single antenna. 
     
     
         5 . The object detection method of  claim 1 , wherein the object detection method is employed by a Radio Detection and Ranging (radar) system, and the processing circuit is a part of the radar system. 
     
     
         6 . The object detection method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the signature extraction upon the spatio-temporal image comprises:
 detecting existence of at least one hyperbola in the spatio-temporal image.   
     
     
         7 . The object detection method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the signature extraction upon the spatio-temporal image comprises:
 detecting existence of at least one line in the spatio-temporal image.   
     
     
         8 . The object detection method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the contour of the sensor swept area comprises:
 referring to the signature extraction result to determine dimensions of an empty space in the swept area.   
     
     
         9 . The object detection method of  claim 8 , wherein the signature extraction result comprises a plurality of hyperbolas, and vertices of the hyperbolas are used to determine a width of the empty space. 
     
     
         10 . The object detection method of  claim 8 , wherein the signature extraction result comprises a plurality of lines, and the lines are used to determine a depth of the empty space. 
     
     
         11 . An object detection apparatus comprising:
 a wireless receiver, arranged to generate a plurality of sensor detection inputs at different positions and different timestamps for a swept area of object detection, wherein each of the sensor detection input is generated at one of the different locations and one of the different timestamps; and   a processing circuit, arranged to obtain the sensor detection inputs, collect spatio-temporal data according to the sensor detection inputs, stitch the spatio-temporal data to generate a spatio-temporal image, perform signature extraction upon the spatio-temporal image to generate a signature extraction result, and identify a contour of the swept area according to the signature extraction result.   
     
     
         12 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the object detection apparatus is a single sensor; and while the single sensor is moving, the processing circuit of the single sensor collects the spatio-temporal data for the swept area by using only the sensor detection inputs obtained by the wireless receiver of the single sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the single sensor is equipped with multiple-object reporting capability. 
     
     
         14 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the single sensor has only a single antenna. 
     
     
         15 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the object detection apparatus is a Radio Detection and Ranging (radar) system. 
     
     
         16 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the signature extraction comprises detecting existence of at least one hyperbola in the spatio-temporal image. 
     
     
         17 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the signature extraction comprises detecting existence of at least one line in the spatio-temporal image. 
     
     
         18 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuit refers to the signature extraction result to determine dimensions of an empty space in the swept area. 
     
     
         19 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the signature extraction result comprises a plurality of hyperbolas, and vertices of the hyperbolas are used by the processing circuit to determine a width of the empty space. 
     
     
         20 . The object detection apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the signature extraction result comprises a plurality of lines, and the lines are used by the processing circuit to determine a depth of the empty space.